What Would some of you do?

[tidelover]

We are scheduled to cruise on Century for the Western Caribbean in December to Jamaica, Cayman, & Cozumel.

 

Should we go ahead and go or should we cancel?

 

I really don't want to see a bunch of tore up buildings.

 

We have until Oct 8th to make up our minds before final payment is due.

 

What would some of you do?

[chessbriar]

From what I have read on the internet. Grand Cayman is expecting to be open for business in 4-6 weeks. If X sees the island as not suitable for it's passengers, it will make other arrangements. Go have a good time. They have three months to get everything cleaned up

[jimbug]

It's hard to say--even if the island is cleaned up, there will still be a lot of businesses and areas still feeling the effects of Frances and Ivan...and any of the other tropical storms churning out in the Atlantic as we speak.

 

Does Celebrity have another itinerary on a different ship that you'd be happy with and that fits your vacation schedule? If not, then I would go ahead and cancel...I may be against the masses here, but I think that if you're going to the Caribbean, you'd want to find the best itinerary for you at the time, even if that means changing cruise lines to avoid hurricane damaged areas.

[smudge's mom]

If you chose your cruise based on certain itinerary expectations, I would suggest cancelling - there is always another cruise you can go on - either that date or at another time. If you chose a cruise for the shipboard experience and you don't really mind any changes, you could take your chances.

 

If it were my cruise, I would cancel. I wouldn't want my visit to a port to be "less" than it would've been, had the port not been damaged. And I wouldn't want to see devastation. It's my vacation. Although I have empathy for those who suffer the wrath of hurricanes, I don't go on vacation to be a missionary - I go for selfish reasons - to "veg" out and try to block out negative world situations.

[Deb C.]

tidelover:

If torn up buildings cause you distress, maybe the Caribbean isn't the best place for you to be cruising anyway. Mexico, and others there are very poor and many of the homes are just shacks even without a hurricane coming through.

 

Maybe you should save you money and try Hawaii, New England, Alaska, etc.

 

It is possible to go diving, snorkeling, maybe even to a beach without much land travel in your Dec. ports and not have to experience many torn-up buildings though.

 

The other posters have good comments, too.

What would I Do? I am cruising in Nov. to some of those same places. If we can't dock at some of them...that's okay. I'm on the ship for rest and relaxation and will just enjoy the ship's amenities.

 

Hope you find some place suitable and can enjoy your cruise (yes, even staying on board the ship is great fun, too). Good luck!!

[Happy ks]

I think my gut feeling would be to go and enjoy as much as I could. Also, to include an extra suitcase with clothing I am ready to discard, as I'm sure there are many people on those islands that lost more than what we could ever imagine.

[MSBYRDY]

Me? I'd be on that ship with bells on.

Marilyn

[sunpsyche]

I'll be on that cruise in a little bit more than 2 weeks. Looking at it as an adventure. Where we go doesn't much matter to me. Although, it has impacted my earlier decision to do non X excursions. But...the cruise is the thing. The journey with friends, those we know and those we have yet to meet...that is the allure. Along with all those peaceful days at sea. Still, it's a personal choice only you can make.

[smudge's mom]

tidelover:

If torn up buildings cause you distress, maybe the Caribbean isn't the best place for you to be cruising anyway. Mexico, and others there are very poor and many of the homes are just shacks even without a hurricane coming through.

Deb - Your chastisement was unnecessary. You do not know anyone's degree of compassion for other's plight. Nor do you know their degree of involvement in helping the less fortunate.

 

Although I can't speak for Tidelover, there are some of us who want to have a vacation without being "on" all the time. Some of us want to pretend the world is a trouble free, tropical paradise - if only for a couple of weeks.

 

A lot of cruisers are taking their once every five years, once every ten years, once in a lifetime vacation. For those people, they want their cruise to be a special time - with their ports at their peak readiness for tourists to visit. Asking for that is not wrong.

[NiniB]

Deb - Your chastisement was unnecessary. You do not know anyone's degree of compassion for other's plight. Nor do you know their degree of involvement in helping the less fortunate.

 

Although I can't speak for Tidelover' date=' there are some of us who want to have a vacation without being "on" all the time. Some of us want to pretend the world is a trouble free, tropical paradise - if only for a couple of weeks.[/color']

 

A lot of cruisers are taking their once every five years, once every ten years, once in a lifetime vacation. For those people, they want their cruise to be a special time - with their ports at their peak readiness for tourists to visit. Asking for that is not wrong.

What Deb stated was NOT "chastisement",,, but in fact REALITY.. expecting ports to ROLL out the red carpet and be in "peak readiness" after suffering a major disaster is not only LUDICROUS its pretentiuos....:mad: if the postee feels the ports may not be ready,, look into other places,,, thats not suggesting they help anyone ( oh FORBID ). its amazing how SELFISH people are and want to SPREAD IT..:confused:

[Deb C.]

I was just going with what Tidelove stated in his post. He didn't mention people's suffering at all that I could see.

 

"I don't want to see a bunch of torn up buildings." I didn't recommend Greece, Italy, Egypt for him to visit either (those buildings are in RUINS). I said maybe a cruise to Hawaii, Alaska, etc. would be more to his liking. Not many "torn up buildings" for him to see there.

 

His concern was seeing torn up buildings so I recommended activities where he might not be upset as much--beaches, snorkeling (sometimes a boat picks you right up from the ship and takes you to the dive site--saving you from looking at the land altogether.)

 

Just giving sugesstions. Of course it is up to him or his family.

 

He asked what would I do and I said I would go. Take your prayers, your sympathy and your money with you to help their economy. They need it all!

 

Didn't mean to make waves for you, smudgesmom. Too much pain in this world already.

 

Bon voyage wherever you decide to sail, TideLover.

[Bruin Steve]

I'm sort of with Deb on this one...and I don't think it's a lack of sympathy for the locals...heck, I have a world of sympathy for them...and I might cruise there just to help support their economy...which is hurting after such a tragic disaster...

 

But, I don't think that was the point...

 

The point is that most people cruising this part of the world aren't doing it for the architecture, culture, history and food...if you want that, cruise the Mediterannean or the Baltic...

 

A lot of folks who cruise the Caribbean do it for the beaches, the weather, the sun, the relaxation...

 

Heck, I was on a cruise a few years back that stopped in Labadee, Haiti...and I hate to say it, but there was very little there that a hurricane could destroy...the place had no buildings, no houses...the people were perhaps the "poorest" on earth...the purpose of the port call was really little more than a pretext to get off the ship and have a nice day frolicking in the surf...it couldn't be much different after a hurricane...and that's said with no insult meant to the people who live there and no lack of respect for those who lost loved ones in the hurricane...

 

If the hurricane is over, and the weather is back to "nice beach weather", I say go...and buy some handicrafts from the locals--their economy needs you now more than ever...then enjoy the beach...and the ship...

[Cruise Junky]

I think I'd cancel. They're are lots more itinerarys to chose from and there has to be a better way to help the locals. Aren't there any Hurricane Relief funds set up from the Red Cross?

[RSteele]

I'm going whether there has been damage or not....the ship's the reason I there. To be truthful..I hate hot weather :eek: The hotest (is that a word??? doesn't look right :confused: ) I've ever been was on a cruise that stopped in Cabo San Lucas...and then again in Costa Rica...Aruba was pretty hot too...well, you get my point ;) So, this cruise is definitely for the experience of being on the ship. If I can spend money and help out the economy I'll do that too. I emailed Nativeway in the Caymans today to ask how soon they will start booking tours. I figure I won't hear for awhile but at least they'll know there's still interest in coming to see them!

[xranger39@aol.com]

I would say keep your booking and enjoy yourself.

I haven't been in your situation, but I think that because so many of the islands rely heavily on tourists and their $$, it would be in their best interest to try to get things back to normal.

I have done this itinerary myself and have gone on an excursion in every port you are visiting. Most of the excursions I have done are water-based excursions which really wouldn't be affected by hurricane damage (unless the boat which takes you to Stingray City is destroyed, for example).

If you are planning a very excursion-heavy vacation, then maybe you might want to pick another sailing. But to me, the ship's the real reason why I cruise.

I would be on that ship in the MIDDLE of a hurricane, much less a few weeks after one!

I would trust the judgement of Celebrity, but if you have doubts still after all the advice, read some reviews of the "just retuned" types of posts for a better idea.

Enjoy yourself wherever you go!

[tidelover]

Well thanks for everything.

I didn't mean it to sound like I don't want to help people out. All I was thinking about was not wanting to see all the destruction and feeling like I was getting in the way.

 

When you think of Cayman you think of the beauty that it was. I know they will rebuild.

 

Just being on vacation you kinda expect to escape the worldly problems.

 

We are still planning on going and will enjoy anything we do.

 

Thanks

[sunpsyche]

Have a great cruise tidelover...wherever you may end up!

[smudge's mom]

Sorry Deb, maybe I over reacted, but everyone is so PC nowadays that one cannot seem to be "selfish" once in a while without catching grief.

 

I still maintain that if one brings up the worry about the ports not being "tourist ready" - one should cancel and rebook. Why take a chance at not enjoying a vacation that costs so much and that one cannot "walk away" from if one is unhappy.

 

It's just that for those of us fortunate enough to be able to cruise frequently - we may sometimes forget that for others a cruise is a very, very special vacation and to want everything to be perfect is their right.

[smudge's mom]

Tidelover - Please don't apologize for wanting to have a stress-free vacation.

 

We all need to get away from the troublesome global world situation - and our own stresses - and have a peaceful, wonderful time on vacation.

 

Who says one has to be "on" all the time? Who says to once in a while want to take time to think only of yourself and your loved ones is wrong?

 

If you decide to cancel your Caribbean cruise, try looking into the Mexican Riviera. You can get your warm weather and you can find ports that have escaped the weather's wrath - at least - so far.

[CaribbeanBound]

We are scheduled for the Eastern Caribbean the first week of December.

 

We are going. No thoughts about cancelling.